Fake
by d-E-a-D-12349876-a-C-c-O-u-N-t
Summary: Kaoru finally gets to walk home with Hikaru, but Hikaru realizes that things aren't going exactly as planned.
1. Fake

Kaoru had felt everything shatter. Ever since Haruhi had come along, Kaoru's perfect world had been crumbling. Hikaru had always been his support. Now he was starting to slip away little by little. Kaoru didn't want to cry, merely to laugh. He wanted to laugh at his utter stupidity for thinking that he could actually pull off one of the greatest taboos. Loving his brother. He'd never admit it, but he'd never deny it. Hikaru had always been there, always able to push his brother up. If Haruhi's name was even mentioned, Kaoru would fall.

Hikaru looked over at his brother. "Kaoru..." he said seductively, pulling his brother down in a romantic fashion. Kaoru didn't think it felt right. He wanted it to be real, not fake. That was what it was, an act. "Is something wrong?"

Kaoru gave a fake smile. "No, Hikaru..." he answered.

"Am I not enough for you? Are you thinking about breaking my heart?" Hikaru asked. Kaoru cringed a bit. Everything seemed...fake. It was.

"I don't think that I'm the one who's breaking hearts."

Hikaru looked at him questionably. "What do you mean, Kaoru?"

Kaoru wanted to. He wanted to tell him that he didn't want everything to be fake anymore. Kaoru could, or he could stay quiet and allow Hikaru to be pulled farther away from him. It was easier that way. For Hikaru. In truth, Kaoru hated every day because it meant that a little bit more of his heart would be pulled away. "I mean..." he immediately silenced himself, not wanting to say anything else. He would let his heart suffer as many times as it took to make Hikaru happy.

"What?"

Kaoru knew his brother meant it. For once Hikaru wasn't acting. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you just leave now?! It would make things much easier for the both of us! We both know you care for Haruhi much more than you could ever care for me. But I don't care. As long as you're happy, I would be happy. Everything's fake! You don't care if my heart gets broken in the process!" Kaoru yelled, letting the tears that he had bottled up for so long fall. The girls watched in shock. Others watched in horror. Even the Host Club had turned their heads to see this. Even Kyouya was shocked.

"Kaoru..." Hikaru mumbled.

"Don't 'Kaoru' me! Stop pretending!" Kaoru yelled, running quickly out of the quiet room.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru yelled, running after him.

Tamaki looked over at Haruhi. "You don't like him, right?" he asked.

"Not that I know of..."

Kyouya sighed. "This is going to hurt our budget so much..."

**A.N.:** Okay, I absolutely adore Hikaru and Kaoru, and I am also a fan of Haruhi and Tamaki. I think that Hikaru should stop looking at Haruhi and realize that someone else is madly in love with him.


	2. Contemplation

Kaoru had taken a short cut through one of the hallways and found himself in an abandoned classroom. He looked around, analyzing things with tear-filled eyes. He felt terrible. He should've kept quiet, but he was tired of everything being fake. He sounded like a girl. He was wishing for a perfect life and for everything to be real. He had forgotten that life was not a fairytale. He was making too much of a simple thing. He had played along with this fake act for so long, and now he decides to say that he wants to end it?

Kaoru sat down in one of the desks. Did Hikaru hate him? Why shouldn't he? He had been unlike himself and had made a fuss over nothing. To Kaoru, he really did love his brother. It was undeniable. He never said it because what would your brother say if you told him that you were madly in love with him. Hikaru would've never forgiven Kaoru.

Kaoru eyed the door, making sure that no one was coming. He rubbed his eyes. They were red. He couldn't go to class looking like this. In fact, he probably wouldn't go to class at all. He couldn't stand to see Hikaru. Not now. The one bad thing about having a twin brother was that you shared _everything_ with him.

Kaoru looked around. It was empty. He was glad. He knew that Hikaru hated places like this. Hikaru loved to be around others now, but Kaoru liked staying by himself. Well, as long as Hikaru was there.

Kaoru thought about Haruhi. How was it that some girl comes and pretends that she's a boy, and every boy _and_ girl in Ouran Academy falls in love with her? Even Kaoru loved her. But he'd do anything to make Hikaru happy. He was always the one that was more softspoken, but always wanted to yell. He wanted to voice his opinion, rather than follow everything that Hikaru said. Did he hate Haruhi? Of course not. What he hated was that she had taken every aspect of Kaoru's relationship with his brother, and made it into something else. Kaoru wanted his life back, or he wanted his brother back.

Kaoru smiled of the thought of being able to hold his brother in a _real_ embrace. Not one of those fake ones that Hikaru always gave when he had "hurt" Kaoru's feeings. It was an act. Hikaru found it funny to see the girls squeal in affection over their "brotherly love", but Kaoru wanted more than that. In truth, he had also at first liked seeing girls swoon over their evey movement. He had loved seeing them practically faint over every time when his hand would skillfully carress Hikaru's cheek. What he _didn't _like was every time that the girls had fallen out of their seat when Hikaru would get so close to kissing Kaoru on the lips. Kaoru wanted to know what it would feel like, but knew that fate would ever be so kind to him.

Yes, Kaoru was getting his alone time. No, he didn't like it. He didn't like being separated from his brother, if only for a minute. He had always been ready to do whatever Hikaru said, if it involved Hikaru.

Kaoru stood up. He walked out of the classroom and nearly collided with Haruhi. "Ha-Haruhi!" he gasped, surprised and a little worried that she would ask about his sudden out burst.

"Kaoru?! Where'd you go?" she asked, more concerned than nosey.

"I went to that classroom to think," he replied, shutting the door. Haruhi nodded.

"Look, in all reality, I like someone else. I had no idea that Hikaru liked me, and I would be more than happy to let you have him," Haurhi assured him.

"How could you _not_ have known?" he asked, laughing at her stupidity. "Anyway, is it Milord that you're in love with?" he asked knowingly. His question was answered b the brunette turning a deep shade of red. "I knew it! Anyway, about what happened back there..." his voice trailed off.

"It's okay. I was just worried that you hated me," Haruhi smiled.

"If anything, I hate myself for getting so mad at Hikaru," Kaoru smiled back, following Haruhi to the next class. "By the way, where is Hikaru?"

"Who knows. He went off looking for you," she answered.

Kaoru laughed. "Next time I see him, I'll have to apolpgize for being such a jerk," Kaoru admitted, opening a door. Haruhi nodded her head and looked at him.

"Aren't you gonna ride home together like you always do? That would be a perfect time to apologize to him," she noted, placing her books on a desk.

"No, I think that I'll walk home today."

"Oh."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

A.N.: I tried to write this a little longer than before. Next chapter wil be Hikaru's thoughts.


	3. Notes

Hikaru was...confused. Why had Kaoru gotten worked up by this. There had to be something behind his strange behavior. Maybe...he liked someone else and didn't want to keep up the act anymore because he didn't want that person to think that Kaoru was in love with Hikaru. No. Kaoru told Hikaru _everything_. Even if it was personal.

That was there thing. Secrets. If one of the twins knew something, he would most certainly tell the other.

Kaoru must have a secret. That could be the only explanation that Hikaru could think of. Then again...maybe it was an act that Hikaru hadn't been informed of. He could've been told, but had forgotten which day that they were executing the plan. No. Hikaru had a talent for remembering _everything._

Hikaru sat down in the next classroom. It was five minutes before class, so he decided to just sit there to clear his head. He noticed a few nerds walk in, getting ready for whatever nerds do to get prepared for a class. A few minutes later he heard the bell ring and saw Haruhi and Kaoru walk in. Hikaru was even more shocked when he saw that Kaoru sat down beside Haruhi. Not him.

Hikaru was about ready to get up and say something when the teacher walked in. Hikaru sat back down and huffed angrily.

The lesson was going on for forever. Hikaru had just about had it when he saw that Kaoru looked at something that Haruhi had written and stifled a giggle. Only Hikaru did that with Kaoru. Hikaru wrote something angrily (and messily) on a scrap piece of paper and threw it at Kaoru. He sighed in relief when he realized that the teacher had been occupied with something else.

Kaoru immediately looked behind him when the paper hit his neck. He looked at it, and realized the messy handwriting immediately. It said:

_Hey! Why aren't you sitting back here? There is some creep blowing his nose back here! What did that note from Haruhi say?!_

Kaoru tried to discern the rest of the note. To no avail. Haruhi peered over and looked at the note. Hikaru tensed up as he noticed an angry mark start to form on Haruhi's face. She was probably angry about him being nosey. He saw Kaoru scribble away on a different sheet of paper. He folded it up into a neat paper airplane and threw it across the room. Again, the teacher was occupied by a student asking a question.

Hikaru read the note carefully. It was written in such nice handwriting. It said:

_Dear Nosey,_

_I decided to sit by Haruhi today. Why? Are you jealous? Also, you should try blowing your nose once in a while. Oh, and, I'm not gonna tell you what the note said. It's really cool, though. You'd know if you were up here..._

_Love,_

_Kaoru_

Hikaru seriously doubted the "Love" part. Why was Kaoru tempting him with a note written by Haruhi? If it were Tamaki's note, he wouldn't care in the least bit. But why Haruhi? He got out another piece of paper and started writing. He crumpled it up and threw it.

Kaoru sighed as he looked at the piece of paper.

_Why are you being so mean!? What does the freakin' note say?! Is it a love note? Does Haruhi like you? Baka! I'm gonna kill you if you don't tell me!!!_

Kaoru smirked as he wrote down another cocky message. He threw it at Hikaru's direction. Their little note passing luck had run out, because the teacher saw them.

_I was going to apologize, but then you had to be nosey. I'm NOT going to tell you. Maybe it is. I'm not for sure. Would you really murder your own twin? Also, you should really get some penmanship lessons. Your handwriting is atrocious._

"THAT DOES IT!!!" Hikaru yelled as he got up from his seat. The teacher looked over and frowned.

"Mr. Hitachiin, is there something that you would like to share with the class? Also, Mr. Hitachiin," she glanced over at Kaoru. "Why are you passing notes during class?" she asked. Hikaru saw Kaoru stiffen up. "Miss Fujioka, do you have something to do with this?"

"I...uh..." Haruhi stammered.

"No ma'am! It was all my fault. I wrote a note to Hikaru and he got mad. Haruhi had nothing to do with it," Kaoru said, looking down.

"Well then, would _both_ the Hitachiins please stay in my classroom after school. I'll make sure to give you extra work," the teacher said with a smirk. Kaoru nodded quickly, while Hikaru nodded reluctantly.

Class was dismissed, and Hikaru moved up to beside Kaoru. "Thanks a lot..." Kaoru muttered.

"How was it my fault!?" Hikaru demanded.

"If you hadn't yelled, I would've been the only one in trouble. Now, I got embarrassed in front of the class," Kaoru said coldly.

"Since when did you start caring about what the thought?!" Hikaru hissed back.

"Since I got to know some of them," Kaoru answered.

"So you do have other friends?"

"More or less."

They were both silenced when the teacher slammed her ruler on their desk. "Now Kaoru, I will have you write : _I will not pass notes in class_ 100 times," the teacher instructed. Kaoru nodded. "And Hikaru, I will have you write : _I will not cause a ruckus during class and act like an idiot_ 101 times."

"His sentence is shorter!" Hikaru protested.

"102 times."

"But-"

104 times" the teacher said.

"You skipped 103!" Hikaru said.

"105 times. I'd suggest you stop," the teacher suggested.

Hikaru did as he was told and began writing his punishment.

**A.N.: I hope that was okay. I really like where this story is going, and I'm really thankful for all the review so far. **


	4. EXTRA

Kaoru was finished when Hikaru was on his 83rd. He glanced over at his paper and frowned at the sloppy handwriting. Kaoru inched his chair closer to Hikaru's and noticed that Hikaru scooted his chair farther away. Kaoru went forward a bit, Hikaru went about three inches away. Kaoru moved over just a tad bit more, and Hikaru moved about five inches forward. Sooner or later, Hikaru's chair was in the aisle.

"Mr. Hitachiin!" the teacher yelled, marching over. "What are you doing in the aisle?!" she demanded.

"He was bothering me!" Hikaru said, but if you looked at Kaoru he was sitting at his desk pretending to write even more sentences.

"You see, teacher, I felt really bad about disrupting class, so I decided that I'd write my punishment a few more times," Kaoru said innocently. The teacher smiled warmly. "If you need me to, I'll stay and keep my brother company."

"Thank you, Kaoru. See, why can't you be like your brother?" the teacher asked.

Hikaru let out a huff of frustration.

After a while, Hikaru put his thoughts back onto his paper. _I will not cause a ruckus during class and act like an idiot... _ _I will not cause a ruckus during class and act like an idiot... I will not cause... Wait! What's that tapping sound?_ Hikaru wondered. He looked by him to see Kaoru playing with his pen. "Knock it off..." he growled.

"Oh. Is this bothering you?" Kaoru asked with a grin.

"Yeah."

"Okay then..." he kept right on playing with his pen.

"Teacher! Kaoru's playing with his pen and acting like an idiot!" Hikaru yelled. The teacher walked over and looked at the two.

"I thought his pen was running out of ink, so I decided to get my pen out in case he needed it. I noticed that he didn't see it, so I was trying to get his attention. I didn't mean to cause a ruckus," Kaoru lied, looking hurt.

"Don't worry, Kaoru," the teacher said kindly and walked back to her desk.

"83, 84, 85..." Hikaru counted softly, counting how many times he wrote the sentence. "86, 87..."

"3, 6, 2, 9..." Kaoru counted, trying to mess him up.

"10, 11, 12..." Hikaru said mindlessly, falling for the trick. He stopped, then shot a glare at Kaoru. "Hey!"

"Mr. Hitachiin, what is the meaning of this?!" the teacher grumbled, walking over angrily.

"Kaoru messed up my counting!"

"I could've sworn that he had missed a few numbers. I was just trying to help him know how many he had," Kaoru replied.

The teacher said nothing, but returned to her seat.

" I will not cause a ruckus during class and act like an idiot_, _ I will not cause a ruckus during class and act like an idiot, I will not..." Hikaru said quietly.

"I will not admit I'm an idiot, I will not admit I'm an idiot, I will not..." Kaoru said, trying to mess up his concentration.

"I will not admit I'm an idiot..." Hikaru noted, writing it down. "WAIT!!!"

And so, the punishment went like that. Kaoru kept on messing Hikaru up until Hikaru finished. A very angry Hikaru and a very amused Kaoru walked outside. "You're not my brother, you're the devil's brother..." Hikaru fumed.

"Wouldn't that be the same?" Kaoru joked, turning a corner.

"Why are you going that way?" Hikaru asked.

"I'm walking home from school today," Kaoru answered, running off. Hikaru sighed and stepped into the limo.

Kaoru smiled as he enjoyed the cool breeze. In a way, it was much better than the somewhat stuffy limousine.

Hikaru muttered to himself angrily as he looked out the window.

**A.N.: I wanted to write something a little more funnier than the sorta sucky mushy love stuff that I've been writing. Yeah, I know that they're probably OOC. Anyway, hope ya liked the chapter.**


	5. Fairy Tales

It was at times like this that Kaoru wished that he wasn't rich. He looked around, taking in every breathtaking sight of the outdoors. He didn't know why he hadn't done this before, because he thought that it was absolutely beautiful. It was just like a fairy tale.

Fairy tales were something that Kaoru had always been fond of. Hikaru had never cared for them, probably because they were made up stories. Kaoru loved hearing one of the maids read to them at night when they were younger about a beautiful princess overcoming her evil stepmother and marrying the handsome prince. When he was younger. Then again, he would still like to hear one of those stories. They always made him happy.

Kaoru walked slowly, attempting to savor the moment. He had never noticed that the outdoors were so pretty. If you looked out the window of the limo, you would probably just think that it was just commoner's stuff. Nothing special. But it was.

Haruhi would laugh at the fact that Kaoru was so amazed by the plants and the trees. Hikaru would probably laugh, too. Kaoru wasn't for sure if he would laugh just because Haruhi did.

Kaoru always felt bad for the princesses in fairy tales. He always figured that it was just some wonderful dream that they had and that they would wake up and find themselves back to their regular lives. That's how it was for him. He would be having the most amazing dream about his brother until he hears that stupid alarm clock go off.

Kaoru sighed as he walked up the driveway to the mansion. Of course the limo was already there. Kaoru stepped inside and noticed that some of the maids were staring at him as though he were crazy.

He smiled and walked upstairs. He saw Hikaru playing some video game that he could never win. He looked up and went back on to playing.

"Hikaru? I'm sorry about today..." Kaoru said slowly. He saw Hikaru motion for him to walk out of the way of the T.V.. That was usually a sign that he was forgiven. "If you want, tomorrow we could go home together. I mean we could walk together. It's really pretty."

Hikaru's reply was an audible grunt. It was better than nothing, and it probably meant that Kaoru was forgiven. But something still bothered him. It wasn't something that bothered him too bad, but he figured out something had to be done: new friends. Hikaru wouldn't be around to hold Kaoru's hand forever. He needed to learn to fend for himself, and branching out would be one of those examples.

"Hikaru...I think...I...never mind..." Kaoru finished. Hikaru would never approve of it, and he would probably think that it was some indirect form of betrayal. But even so, new friends could mean new possibilities. Hikaru didn't seem to notice what Kaoru was saying, but then he threw his hands up in the air.

"How did I lose?!" Hikaru asked rather loudly. Kaoru stifled a chuckle, refusing to laugh at his brother.

"You lose when it says game over..." Kaoru told him. It wasn't too much of an insult, but it was bolder than usual. Hikaru shot a 'look that could kill' glare at Kaoru. The smile wiped clean off of Kaoru's face, but was soon replaced by an all-knowing smirk.

"Thanks..." Hikaru muttered, also holding back a laugh. Kaoru smiled and grabbed a controller.

"You're going down..."

**A.N.: Okay, short chapter, but we're starting to get to the climax! I hope that this story works out okay...**


	6. Triplets

Perhaps he wasn't angry at Hikaru, but Kaoru was still adamant about getting new friends. He hadn't dared to tell Hikaru, for fear of the wrath that would soon follow. But Kaoru didn't mind the wrath...much. He turned a corner, walking into a barely filled classroom. Hikaru had been in the back, talking to Haruhi. Kaoru walked over and sat down. Hikaru didn't even look his way. _If that's the way he wants it..._Kaoru thought, standing up. He walked over to three students. Their faces weren't familiar, but Kaoru never paid much heed to anyone other than Hikaru.

"Hello," Kaoru said, a smile on his face. He was going to be friendly even if it killed him. One of the girls smiled back.

"Hello," she repeated, holding out her nicely manicured hand. The other girl smiled and bowed politely. _Wow...they're so much more respectful than Hikaru..._Kaoru observed. The boy also gave a slight smile and returned to his book.

"I'm Kaoru."

"I'm Yoshiko," the girl told him, giving his hand a slight shake. "We just transferred here from Hokkaido, so we really don't know our place around here." Kaoru nodded, following along with her story.

"I'm Hanako," the second girl told him, bowing again. She was a bit shorter with longer hair. Hanako's hair was long and black, while Yoshiko's hair was short and black. The boy seemed to be paying no attention to their conversation, but stood up after Hanako's introduction.

"I'm Taro," the boy said curtly, returning to his seat. He had short black hair and glasses. Stereotypical nerd. He seemed to be fully engrossed in his book, and did a good job of ignoring their conversation.

_Their names should be pretty simple to remember..._Kaoru smiled again.

"You see, we're triplets, only we don't look much alike," Yoshiko explained. "As you can see, we're somewhat the outsiders of our class. It gets lonely, but you get used to it after a while..." Kaoru knew how she felt, him being an outsider only a few years prior. Hanako gave a kind yet sad smile.

"But there is one good thing to being triplets: We always have each other's backs, no matter what. I honestly can't remember the last time me and Yoshiko had a fight," she giggled. Kaoru nodded his head.

"You have a twin, don't you?" Taro asked, putting himself into the conversation. "And you're also part of the pretty-boy club. You know, the one with the girl." Kaoru tensed up. How could people that had just come to Ouran already know Haruhi's secret? And since when had the Host Club become a 'pretty-boy club'?

"Yes. I have a twin. I'm also part of the Host Club. But I can assure you that we don't have a girl in our club," Kaoru said, hoping to make them believe.

"Yes there is. The brunette with the big eyes. She _is_ a girl, isn't she?" Hanako asked. "I mean, isn't it obvious?"

Obvious? Kaoru had never thought for a moment that it was obvious. But then again, it probably was obvious to them. They were obviously very smart. But it was strange. A couple of newcomers figured out Haruhi's secret before the school.

"Do you promise you won't tell anyone?" Kaoru asked, his voice quieting down. Yoshiko nodded her head.

"We won't, Kaoru-kun," she said, smiling at the new nickname she had given him. It wasn't something that Kaoru was used to, the closest thing being "Kao-chan". But even so, it had a nice sound to it, and what harm could it possibly do?

"Thanks."

"That's what friends are for!" Hanako assured him.

"Don't mention it," Taro told him. Kaoru looked back at Hikaru, who was staring at Kaoru. He motioned for him to come back, but Kaoru shook his head. Hikaru stood up and walked over.

"Kaoru, I need to talk to you," Hikaru told him.

"So this is your brother," Taro observed, looking a bit skeptical.

"Wow! You two look SO much alike!" Hanako squealed, clapping her hands. "I wish me and Yoshiko looked that much alike..."

"Nice to meet you," Yoshiko told him, extending her hand. Hikaru either didn't notice it or didn't care enough to shake it. He pulled on Kaoru's sleeve, indicating for him to leave. Kaoru looked from Hikaru to his new friends.

"Hikaru, weren't you talking to Haruhi?" Kaoru asked, trying to change the subject.

"I was, but then I noticed that you weren't there," Hikaru retorted.

_He noticed_?

"Sorry. You see, these three are triplets, so I decided to introduce them to Ouran. I could show you guys around sometime if you want," Kaoru told them. Yoshiko and Hanako nodded their heads vigorously, while Taro nodded only once. He seemed to preoccupied with his book to even listen, let alone care.

"Thanks, Kaoru-kun. You sure are a big help!" Yoshiko said, obviously catching Hikaru off guard.

"Don't mention it," Kaoru told them, laughing.

"We won't," Taro joked, gaining another laugh from Kaoru.

"It's nice that we have someone like us here!" Hanako told him.

"I'll see you guys later," Kaoru called, following Hikaru. He looked at Hikaru, only to notice a very annoyed expression plastered onto his face. "Is something wrong?"

"You sure do seem to like your new friends..."

"They're really nice, and I was just trying to make them feel welcome..." Kaoru told him, frowning.

"Since when did you talk to new people?"

"Since you started spending time with Haruhi."

"Is this what it's about?!" Hikaru demanded, looking very furious. Kaoru shook his head and smiled.

"I just wanted to make some new friends."

"Oh...okay..."

"They can be your friends, too, Hikaru."

"...Are we still walking home together?" Hikaru asked, changing the subject. Kaoru noticed this, but decided not to make a big deal on the fact. He nodded happily.

_Why are we on such shaky ground? Are we truly falling apart?_

Kaoru decided not to dwell on it, but the thought kept sticking in his mind.

_Are we?_

**A.N.: This chapter should be longer than usual. I know...OOC...PLEASE DON'T MENTION IT... I hope the OCs are okay...sort of...hope ya enjoyed!**


	7. The Walk Home

"It's nice not to be in that limo, huh?" Kaoru asked, attempting for a conversation. He realized that Hikaru was still a bit tense about what had happened a few hours ago, and he didn't blame him.

Hikaru grunted in a response.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

"..."

Kaoru put his head down.

"Kaoru-kun!" a familiar voice called. Yoshiko ran up to him, Hanako in hot pursuit. Taro was still reading the same book as before.

"Hi."

Hanako threw her hands in the air. "It's SO much nicer to walk home than ride in a stuffy limo!"

Finally, someone understood Kaoru's idea!

"That's what I thought," he laughed.

Yoshiko got closer to Kaoru. "Is your brother always so mean-acting? No offense."

Kaoru laughed at that. "He doesn't take well to strangers. I didn't either, for some time. You know how twins are..." Hanako and Yoshiko both giggled, and even Taro had a small smirk on his face.

"Triplets are the same," Taro said.

Hikaru turned his head to see the four of them talking. It made him a tad bit angry. Like he wanted to explode. Perhaps this was...jealousy...

"What _is_ in your book, by the way?" Kaoru asked. Taro closed it, showing the cover.

"It's not a book at all. Manga..."

Hanako smirked evilly. "He's an otaku..."

Taro's face turned red. "I am not! At least I don't read that Shoujo crap!"

"It is not 'crap'. It is a piece of highly educational goodness," Yoshiko countered, grabbing his book. "And I'm lucky. At least I don't fantasize about being some big buff Shinigami or a skillful ninja!"

"Well I'm grateful that I don't dream about solving the curse of the Chinese Zodiac!"

Hanako pouted. "It's a tragic story of romance and loss!"

Kaoru, by now, was doubling over with laughter. "I thought you said that you guys never fight..."

"We're not fighting, we're debating," Taro explained.

"By the way, Kaoru," Hanako started,"can I call you 'Kaoru-kun',too?"

Yoshiko shook her head. "That's what I call him! You can call him Hitachiin-kun. Got it?" Hanako nodded her head.

"Anything's fine by me," Kaoru told them.

Hikaru was now well ahead of them, grumbling about the stupidity of it all. "Kaoru hates people, so why is being all nice to them?"

"Hikaru! Wait up!" Kaoru called, catching up. He rested his hands on his knees for a couple of seconds. "You walk pretty fast, you know."

Hikaru turned to Kaoru. "Are you friends gone?"

"They go a different way home, so yeah."

"I'd rather we ride the limo home, okay?"

Kaoru looked a bit distraught by that. "But why? We were having fun talking to them, weren't we?"

"No. _You_ were."

"Hikaru..."

They started walking again. "Hope you don't mind..."

"Right..."

_Why should Hikaru make my decisions for me. It's not like he's my boss. Besides, Hanako and Yoshiko and Taro are all really nice to us. What if everyone turned their backs on them and they ended up like me and Hikaru. Their world would be divided..._

Kaoru rounded the corner up the driveway.

_But our world isn't divided anymore. It's shattered._


	8. All the Things

Kaoru had never _not_ talked to Hikaru for more than one day. But after three days of exchanging no words to each other, Kaoru was feeling a bit alone. Not that his new friends weren't great, but they didn't live in the same house as him. All he could do was talk to the maids, but they always called him "Hikaru."

At breakfast, they usually had the same meal. Hikaru had ordered an omelet. That sounded good to Kaoru, so he ordered the same thing.

"On second thought, I'd like a cinnamon bun." He said it so coldly that it almost hurt.

While riding the limo to school, Kaoru looked over at Hikaru, who was looking out the window.

"So...nice weather, huh?"

"Yep."

That was one word, which was better than nothing. But it wasn't enough for Kaoru. He couldn't comprehend why Hikaru was being so...angry over Kaoru getting some new friends. It wasn't as if Hikaru wasn't friends with other people. And he even _liked_ someone else. Someone wasn't in their barrier that they had put around the world.

"Then again...it's broken, anyway..." Kaoru clasped his hand over his mouth in an attempt to take back those words. But even though he tried, Hikaru heard them loud and clear.

"What?"

Kaoru turned to face the other direction. "I was reciting a line off of a play. It was by Shakespeare, I believe."

Hikaru glared, easily seeing through the lie. "What shattered?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"No."

"So it is something?"

"No."

"Tell me!"

"It's us!" Kaoru shouted. Lucky for him, the limo pulled up to Ouran Academy, so he deemed the conversation over. "I'm walking home today," he told the driver, who nodded his head.

If Kaoru could walk any faster, he'd say that he was sprinting. Why would Hikaru care what Kaoru was thinking when he didn't even want anything to do with Kaoru at breakfast. So many things, and they were so confusing. Maybe walking home would clear his mind. Maybe talking to someone would help. Maybe talking to Hik-

_I can't otherwise he'll know..._

He didn't want to trouble Yoshiko and Hanako with this, and Taro probably wouldn't even understand. Who was there to talk to? What had that sudden outburst been about?

Which way was it? Did Hikaru have Kaoru wrapped around his finger, or vice versa? Was Hikaru jealous or was he rebelling? What did Hikaru think about al of this? Did he think that Kaoru hated him? If anything, that was the farthest thing from it. Was all this to try and separate their world even more? Or to connect it once more? For once, it wasn't an act. Kaoru was sure of it. Maybe he was doing all of his just to put Hikaru at wits end. That would show him for all the times he's taken Kaoru for granted.

All the times he's put Haruhi above him.

All the times he's severed their relationship.

All the times Kaoru wished things were different.

All the times Kaoru cried.

All the times Hikaru dried those tears.

All the times Hikaru's helped him up when he falls.

All the times that they shared secrets.

All the times that they've made fun of Tamaki.

All the times that they were intimidated by Kyouya-sempai.

All the times they fell victim to Hunny-sempai's cuteness.

All the times they've seen the soft side to Mori-sempai.

All the times they've imagined Haruhi in cute outfits.

All the times that they realized that they're all each other have.

All the times that they realized that they're starting to open up...

"Kaoru-kun!"

"Hitachiiin-kun!"

Kaoru snapped out of his daydream and looked up to see Hanako and Yoshiko running up to him. Taro was behind them, keeping his own pace.

"You sure were walking fast..."

"And you almost hit your head on the door!"

Kaoru smiled, but it was a forced one. "Sorry. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." That wasn't entirely a lie.

Yoshiko looked at him with a motherly glare.

"If you don't get a lot of sleep, you won't be healthy." Taro smiled at that. He gave Kaoru a look that told him that she was the responsible one. "Find a way to sleep better, Kaoru-kun."

Kaoru laughed at this, even though it wasn't funny. "I'll definitely try that."

"We saw your brother talking to your Pretty-Boy King," Taro told him. Kaoru realized that he was referring to Tamaki.

Hanako and Yoshiko both blushed. "He's really cute," Hanako giggled.

"Very cute," Yoshiko added.

That was inevitable. Every girl eventually falls for Tamaki's charm. It didn't take long at all for these two.

Kaoru laughed again. "You should come by the host club today and meet him."

"Aren't you in that club?" Taro asked.

Kaoru nodded. "It's pretty fun. You can request anyone that you like. Even Haruhi." Hanako and Yoshiko both looked shocked.

"You mean the girl?"

Hanako smiled. "I'm going to request Hitachiin-kun!"

"Are you also requesting my brother? We usually come together."

"I'll pay twice as much just for Hitachiin-kun!"

Yoshiko looked jealous for a second, but smiled. "Then I'm requesting Suoh-sempai!"

Taro shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you two are so obsessed with this kind of stuff. No offense, Kaoru."

"None taken."

Hanako's eyes glimmered. "It's always been my dream to be served tea by handsome men. And, of course, Hitachiin-kun is _very_ handsome! Maybe we'd ask you two serve us tea. If you were handsome, that is..."

"Okay... that's it..."

"Kaoru!" an annoying, but cute blond called. Tamaki walked up to the group. "So these are the triplets that Hikaru told me about!" He turned to Hanako and Yoshiko. "And two very beautiful ladies in my presence..."

Yoshiko blushed madly. "U-um...may my sister and I visit your Host Club today...?" she stammered. Tamaki looked pleased.

"It would please me very much, Princess."

"We'll see you at the Host Club, Kaoru-kun!" Yoshiko yelled, running off.

"Bye, Hitachiin-kun! Bye, Suoh-sempai!"

Taro walked off behind them.

"Mother will be so pleased to see that her rambunctious son has found some new friends!" Tamaki cried, his "father complex" turning on.

Kaoru gave a sad smile. "But to what cost?"


End file.
